Moving in Reverse
Anyone who has eaten a steak at my house over the last 5 years or so has heard me rave about reverse searing. It is without question my favorite way to cook a steak. For those of you unfamiliar, this involves cooking.. well, anything, low and slow and then searing to finish. For me, this method is extremely consistent and borderline foolproof.
How, you ask, does this apply to Sous Vide and what the hell is sous vide anyway?
Well, here comes Sous Vide 101.
This is just the tip of the iceberg to familiarize you with this awesome cooking method. There are a ton of in-depth resources online and otherwise if you want a deep dive.
With regard to temperature and time, sous vide is extremely similar to reverse searing. And as you will hear me repeat over and over, the primary elements of cooking are temperature control and time.
The sous vide method, or immersion cooking, involves cooking ingredients in a sealed pouch immersed in constantly circulating water kept at a consistent temperature. If applicable, you sear the ever-loving crap out of whatever you cooked after it’s long bath. The sealed pouch in which you cook your food is where the name comes from. Sous Vide translates to “under vacuum.”
I had heard of sous vide and had wanted to try it but prior to the inception of the current, more affordable appliances, it was cost prohibitive. A few years ago I started looking into it more seriously and found two viable options under $200. The Anova, and the Joule from Chef Steps. Both look very similar and I know cooks who use one or the other. Either is a great option for your kitchen.
I wound up going with the Joule..
Why the Joule over the Anova you ask? It was on sale that day. I may have gone with the Anova if equally priced. The only real advantage of the Anova over the Joule that I am aware of is you can manually set and adjust the temp on the Anova without the use of the app, but I have had consistent results from the Joule and its app with absolutely no complaints.
If you are interested in dipping your toes in the water.. pun absolutely intended .. here’s the kit you’ll need. Below you’ll find my lists of the bare minimum to get started and some really helpful add ons for best results.
Bare Minimum:
- Your sous vide appliance (duh)
- Zip top bags – These will work, I’ve cooked a lot of food in zip top bags without issue. Just try and get as much air out as possible.
- A large stock pot or flat bottom heat proof vessel – You just need something that is stable, will hold water and will fit the appliance and whatever food you are cooking with room for water to circulate
Excellent Additions:
- 12L Cambro Container with Lid – This container has been helpful and wasn’t very expensive. They even come with a lid specifically made for the stick sous vide gadgets. The lid helps keep a bit of the heat from escaping so the unit doesn’t have to work quite as hard and your kitchen won’t get as steamy.
- Vaccuum sealer – Many cooks swear by vacuum sealing their food. Honestly, if you have vacuum sealed food in your freezer you can go right to the sous vide, but I like seasoning the goodies while they cook.
- Weights – If there is air in your cooking pouch, zip top bag, etc…. buoyancy will make it float. If it floats it won’t cook as effectively. You want your food surrounded by the temp controlled water. The weights will keep your killler ribeye or chicken breast snuggled down under the surface. I haven’t purchased any yet, I honestly just set the head of my metal kitchen mallet on top of the bag and it works just fine.
Give this a try
To get you started, see my recipe for simple sous vide balsamic top sirloin.
This lean cut gets super tender and the cooking time really lets the flavors set in before the sear. It’s a great option for meal prep and gets sliced and thrown on salads or with some rice and veggies.
Well, that’s about it for Sous Vide 101
I hope this has been helpful for you. There are a ton of recipes online for sous vide, some forthcoming on this site, and some great YouTube channels dedicated to sous vide cooking. It is not the be all end all, but I’ll tell ya, it’s a great addition to any kitchen that doesn’t take up much space. I’ve cooked some killer meals from lobster, to steak, chicken, etc… it’s not just for proteins. The possibilities are endless, and once you get a feel for it, you can really make some great food!
